Hybrid Cars Comparative Position

Hybrid Cars, To Drive One Or Not To

Hybrid Cars, To Drive One Or Not To

In 1999 when Honda released the first hybrid vehicle in America, not many consumers were interested in paying a higher price to get one. Recently hybrid vehicle prices have become more comparably to traditional gasoline cars. Combined with a recent trend towards “green” products and cheaper prices, American’s are buying more hybrid cars than they did twelve years ago. A hybrid car is typically driven by an electric motor as opposed to gasoline powered motor. Most hybrids contain smaller fuel-efficient gasoline engines that re-charge the car’s batteries and the batteries power the motor. Automakers and experts claim you can save eight cents for each mile you drive and can reduce your emissions by 35%. Hybrid Cars are potentially a great way to save money, conserve natural resources and promote technological advancement for renewable energy, however there are many misconceptions and concerns with hybrid cars.

There are several types of hybrid vehicles available but there are generally three main differences amongst hybrid cars that can be used to classify them. Electric-only, called EV, use batteries recharged from plugging into common household electricity only. Plug-In Hybrids, called PHEV, power the car using gasoline and batteries recharged from the gasoline engine or by plugging into common household electricity. Similar to PHEV, the extended range vehicles, or EREV, power the car using gasoline and batteries. The EREV batteries are recharged by the car’s gas engine and a unique system in the breaks and cannot be plugged in at home. Electric-only cars are newer on the American market whereas the gas-electric hybrids have been available for a decade. Electric-only cars have shorter mileage ranges before needing to be recharged compared to gas-electric hybrids and traditional gasoline cars.

There are some concerns about the safety of hybrid vehicles although most experts believe they...